Asian equity markets are attracting global investors, with a surge in initial public offerings, rising cross-border flows, and accelerating deal activity underscoring the region’s growing importance in global capital markets, according to senior executives at JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs.
“It’s unbelievable what activity we’re seeing [in Asia],” Sjoerd Leenart, JPMorgan’s Asia Pacific CEO, said on CNBC’s “Access Middle East” Monday, adding that a significant share of IPO volumes last year came from the region. IPO proceeds in Asia Pacific also more than doubled last year, according to EY data, with seven out of the top 10 global deals happening in the region.
“We see this [activity] in the M&A markets … but also in the equity markets, and it’s actually quite widespread,” Leenart said.
The strong inflows at the start of the year follow a robust 2025, when several Asian equity benchmarks outperformed the U.S.
The MSCI AC Asia Pacific index, which tracks over 1,000 large- and mid-cap stocks across 13 regional markets, has hit multiple records this year, having gained more than 25% in 2025. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 and South Korea’s Kospi have also hit all-time highs in recent days.
